contra

Some general resources:

Chemistry Glossary

Chemistry Exam Survival Guide

Toolbox – interactive graphing, tables, and calculators

Make virtual chemistry models

Interactive periodic table

Another site for making virtual chemistry models

Virtual labs – covers stoichiometry, thermochemistry, eq1uilibrium, acid base chemistry, solubility, oxidation/reduction and electrochemistry, analytical chemistry/lab techniques

Concept tests

Chemistry Science Fair Project Ideas

OChem Reaction Bank

Interactive chem simulations

Chemical calculations

The Chem Blog

Molecule of the day

Free chemistry drawing software

Laboratory Safety - Laboratory safety for the chemistry classroom

Periodic Table of Videos - Brady Haran

On this day in chemistry… - a history of chemistry

The faces of chemistry

Experimentation hub -  explore and enjoy our experiments to increase engagement in scientific investigation, develop new skills and enhance your knowledge.

Understanding journals - including reading articles, referencing, and example articles.

Resources for specific topics:

Stochiometry – the mole, molarity and density, reaction stoichiometry and limiting reagents, empirical formula and mixtures, gravimetric analysis

Themochemistry – energy and enthalpy, entropy

Kinetics – phenomenological and mechanistic kinetics

Equilibrium – LeChatlier’s principle, progress of reaction, equilibrium calculations, common ion effect

Acid base chemistry – strong acid and bases, weak acids and bases, buffer solutions, acid/base titrations

Solubility – solubility product, solubility and PH, common ion effect

Oxidation/Reduction and Electrochemistry – standard reduction potentials, galvanic cells

Analytical chemistry/ Lab techniques – reaction stoichiometry and limiting reagents, acid/base titrations, redox titrations, gravimetric analysis, UC/Vis spectroscopy

Physical chemistry – quantum mechanics, spectroscopy

Properties of solutions – intermolecular forces, colligative properties

Textbooks:

Chemistry Virtual Textbooks, Stephen Lower

Organic Chemistry, Tim Soderberg

Organic Chemistry I, George Mhehe

Environmental Chemistry, Dejene Tessema

Virtual Organic Chemistry

Industrial Chemistry, Helen Njenga

Inorganic Chemistry, Chrispin Kowenje

Physical Chemistry I, Onesmus Munyaki

General Chemistry, Principles, Patterns and Applications

Chemistry Books - a variety of chemistry textbooks

Chemistry Tutorials/Guides:

Atoms, Molecules, and Ions

Chemical reactions and stoichiometry

Electronic structure of atoms

Periodic table

Chemical bonds

Gases and kinetic molecular theory

State of matter and intermolecular forces

Chemical equilibrium

Acids and bases

Acid base equilibria and solubility equilibria

Thermodynamics

Redox reactions and electrochemistry

Kinetics

Nuclear chemistry

Organic Chemistry Tutorials/Guidelines:

Structure and bonding

Dot structures

Hybridization

Bond-line structures

Electronegativity

Resonance and acid base chemistry

Counting electrons

Resonance structures

Organic acid-base chemistry

Alkanes, cycloalkanes and functional groups

Naming alkanes

Naming alkanes, cycloalkanes, and bicyclic compounds

Conformations of alkanes

Conformations of cycloalkanes

Functional groups

Stereochemistry

Chirality

Enantiomers

Stereoisomeric relationships

Subsituation and elimination reactions

Free radical reaction

Sn1 vs Sn2

Nucleophilicity and basicity

Elimination reactions

Sn1/Sn2/E1/E2

Sn1 and Sn2

Alkenes and alkynes

Naming alkenes

Alkene reactions

Alkene nomenclature

Alkene reactions

Naming and preparing alkynes

Alkyne reactions

Alcohols, ethers, epoxides, sulphides

Alcohol nomenclature and properties

Synthesis of alcohols

Reactions of alcohols

Nomenclature and properties of ethers

Synthesis and cleavage of ethers

Nomenclature and preparation of epoxides

Conjugation, Diels-Alder, and MO theory

Addition reactions of conjugated dienes

Diels-Alder reaction

Molecular orbital theory

Aromatic compounds

Naming benzene derivatives

Reactions of benzene

Aromatic stability

Electrophilic aromatic substitution

Directing effects

Other reactions and synthesis

Aldehydes and ketones

Introduction to aldehydes and ketones

Reactions of aldehydes and ketones

Carboxylic acids and derivatives

Naming carboxylic acids

Formation of carboxylic acid derivatives

Nomenclature and reactions of carboxylic acids

Nomenclature and reactions of carboxylic acid derivatives

Alpha carbon chemistry

Formation of enolate anions

Aldol condensations

Amines

Naming amines

Spectroscopy

Infrared Spectroscopy

UV/Vis Spectroscopy

proton NMR

Careers:

A future in Chemistry

What can I do with my chemistry degree?

Chemistry Careers - American Chemical Society

The MCAT is the admissions test for those applying to medical school in America and Canada (less emphasis). It is a 7.5 hour test composed of 4 sections. This masterpost is a compilation of MCAT resources I have found and pulled together to help those preparing for their MCAT exam.

Disclaimer: I do not endorse one test prep company over another; I also do not guarantee that this is a conclusive resource list; there are several other resources out there as well that may or may not have been mentioned in this guide. 

Here’s a quick break down of the exam (table provided by Princeton Review):

General Tips

Take practice exams! Practice tests are not always a huge indicator to how well you will do on the actual exam but rather a way to familiarize yourself with the exam. Take practice exams like it’s test day. Whatever you do, don’t retake a practice exam. 

Have a study schedule that you will stick to like super Gorilla glue.

Plan on spending about 3-6 months/ one semester to prepare for the MCAT. If you are planning to study for the MCAT while in classes, take a light-weight course load that semester. 

Register early for the MCAT. It’s harder to get spots later on.

Make condensed one-page outlines of what you learn for each chapter.

Practice timing yourself and take your breaks. This is a 7.5 hour exam, you need the stamina and you need the breaks before your brain goes haywire. The test does not have a designated “alarm”. 

Flashcards! *Pile all your flashcards together and shuffle frequently; all information that you learn is connected together.

Make your own mnemonics. 

Think quick; think smart. The MCAT is meant to test you on how well you can think like a doctor. 

The best (and most popular) time to take the MCAT is in late May to early July of your third year. 

Do not cram. 

Do not study one subject at a time.

Don’t leave a question unanswered. 

General Resources 

bolded are my favorite resources

AAMC: your go-to website for MCAT stuff because they write the test

KhanAcademy MCAT: AAMC and KhanAcademy have partnered up to help students with free resources to tackle the MCAT

Princeton Review MCAT study guide

Princeton Review Free Online Practice MCAT

Kaplan: What changed on the test

Kaplan Free Online Practice MCAT

109 Tips & Strategies for the MCAT

ExamCrackers MCAT

StudyGuideZone’s MCAT study guide

Free MCAT study materials

Berkley Review books for MCAT

Kaplan’s MCAT quick sheets

Reddit’s MCAT content review: scroll down and take a look at the “what are the study materials out there” and the “free study materials” sections 

Other References

simplewanderings​​‘s MCAT tag

ephie-ubc-science’s experience with the 2015 MCAT

studycyclops’s 12 week mcat study schedule

premedtomd’s MCAT study schedule

How to Prepare for the MCAT

Btw, if anyone is still confused with the difference between “motivation” and “discipline”, let me put it like this:

• Motivation is incentive; something that encourage you to go on by imagining some form of rewards in the future if you do a certain activity; for example, taking a bath with the motivation of not wanting your crush to smell your bad natural body odor;

• Discipline is habit; it makes you do a certain activity without thinking of a future reward because your brain and body already think it is the normal thing to do; for example, putting cereal into the bowl before the milk – someone who do this everyday would naturally do it without thinking of any sort of reward before doing it.

In studyblrs’ case, having studying schedule based on motivations means you keep having to remind yourself about the rewards of studying hard (i.e proving your hated former classmates wrong, making your parents proud, getting lucrative job, etc). While this may work on some people, it doesn’t sound realistic that your brain somehow can think the same motivations sound rewarding enough when you’re feeling down; and it is dangerous when you’re feeling down when you have five essays due or have an exam in the next week.

Meanwhile, having studying schedule based on discipline means that you keep studying at the scheduled times out of habit, because your body and brain thinks it is the right thing to do at that specific time. It sounds more realistic, because although you’re feeling down at that moment, staring down at the same sentences over and over again, highlighting it, and re-writing it down in your notes will make those sentences remembered by your brain. Or, even if your brain does not remember them later, you will know where the important sentences are, because you already highlighted it. Also, working on your assignments based on scheduled discipline means that although you make horrible essay in the first day, you will have more time to revise it later because working based on discipline means you don’t procrastinate it to the last minutes.